LETTER IV.

_SIR_,

[Sidenote: IV.]

The fourth thing to be consider'd is, _Virgil_'s _mixing the Singular and Plural Numbers_. This has a wonderful Effect, and is very diligently attended to by _Virgil_; but I believe never once thought of by _Ovid_, or any other _Roman_ Writer in the Days of _Augustus_.

"_Quid faciat lætas_ Segetes, _quo sidere_ terram _Vertere, Mæcenas, ulmisque adjungere_ vites, _Conveniat: quæ cura boum, qui cultus habendo Sit_ pecori, apibus _quanta experientia parcis_.

Here you have _segetes_ and _terram_, and then _vites_, and after that _pecori_ and _apibus_.

Again,

"--_Camposque, & flumina late Curva tenent: ut molle_ siler, _lentæque_ genistæ, Populus, & _glauca canentia fronde_ Salicta. _Pars autem posito surgunt de semine: ut altæ_ Castaneæ; _nemorumq; Jovi quæ maxima frondet_ Esculus, _atque habitæ Graiis oracula_ quercus.

Here are _Siler_ and _Genistæ_, _Populus_ and _Salicta_, _Castaneæ_ and _Esculus_, and _Quercus_.

Again,

"Arma Virumque _cano, Trojæ qui primus ab oris_ Italiam, _fato profugus_, Lavinaque _venit_ Litora. _Multum ille &_ terris _jactatus &_ alto, _Vi_ Superum _sævæ memorem_ Junonis _ob iram. Multa quoq; & bello passus, dum conderet_ urbem, _Inferretque_ Deos _Latio_: genus _unde Latinum Albanique_ patres, _atque altæ moenia Romæ_.

These _two first Words_ of the _Æneid_ are an Example of what I am taking notice of; and then we have in this Introduction _Italiam_ and _Litora Lavina_, _Terris_ and _Alto_, _Superum_ and _Junonis_, _Urbem_ and _Deos_, _Genus_ and _Patres_.

But the most beautiful Passage of this Nature is in the _Georgics_. Here the thing to be done, and the Instrument with which it is to be done, are varied alternately.

"_Quod nisi & assiduis_ terram _insectabere_ rastris, _Et_ sonitu _terrebis_ aves, _& ruris opaci_ Falce _premes_ umbras, votisq; _vocaveris_ imbrem.

Terram _rastris_, sonitu _aves_, falce _umbras_, votis _imbrem_.

Upon which _La Cerda_ makes this Remark:

"_Placet_ Virgilius _semper, sed cur placeat sæpe ignoratur. In rebus quatuor recensendis numquam pluralem cum plurali, neque singularem cum singulari, quod minus ad varietatem: sed semper cum singulari pluralem. Unica terra multis rastris insectanda est, unica pluvia multis votis petenda. Contra, multæ aves terrendæ unico sonitu, multæ umbræ unica falce compescendæ._"

Now in _Ovid_ nothing of this Art is to be found.

"_Ante_ mare & tellus, _& (quod tegit omnia)_ coelum, _Unus erat toto naturæ_ vultus _in orbe, Quem dixere_ chaos: _rudis indigestáque_ moles, _Nec quicquam nisi_ pondus _iners_.

Here are _Mare_, _Tellus_, _Coelum_, _Vultus_, _Chaos_, _Moles_, and _Pondus_, without any one word of the Plural Number amongst them.

V. The next Particular to be taken notice of, is _Virgil_'s uncommon Use of the Particles _Et_ and _Que_.

"--_Multum ille_ et _terris jactatus_ et _alto_; _Multa quoque_ et _bello passus_-- Et _premere_, et _laxas sciret dare jussus habenas_.

And more frequently in his most finish'd Piece.

_Quid tibi odorato referam sudantia ligno. Balsama_que, et _Baccas_-- _Quod nisi_ et _assiduis terram insectabere rastris_, Et _sonitu terrebis aves_, et _ruris opaci Falce premes umbras, votis_que _vocaveris imbrem. Si vero viciam_que _seres, vilem_que _Faselum_.

This Manner of using these connecting Particles, gives Majesty and Strength to the Verse. It gives Majesty, because it occasions Suspense and raises the Attention. For Example:

_Si vero Viciam_que _seres_--

Here the _que_ hinders the Sense from being concluded, till you have read the rest of the Line,

--_Vilemque Faselum._

But if the Poet had writ (supposing the Verse would have allowed it)

_Si vero Viciam seres_--

the Reader would have understood him without going any farther; and it is easily perceiv'd the Verse would have been very flat to what it is now. This double Use of the Particles gives Strength to the Verse; because, as the Excellent _Erythræus_ observes, the copulative Conjunctions are in Language of the same Use as Nerves in the Body, they serve to connect the Parts together; so that these Sorts of Verses which we are speaking of may be very properly called, Nervous Lines.

This Art _Virgil_ most certainly learnt from _Homer_: for there is nothing more remarkable in _Homer_'s Versification, nothing to which the Majesty of it is more owing, than this very thing, and I wonder none of his Commentators (that I have seen) have taken notice of it. There are four in the 23 first Lines of the Iliad, of this Kind. I will put the _Latin_ for the sake of the generality of Readers.

_Atrides_que, _rex virorum,_ et _nobilis Achilles. Redempturus_que _filiam, ferens_que _infinitum pretium liberationis, Atridæ_que, et _alii bene ocreati Achivi, Reverendum_que _esse sacerdotem,_ et _splendidum accipiendum pretium_. Clarke's _Translation_.

VI. I come now to the _Collocatio Verborum_, of which there is no occasion to give any more than one Instance:

"_Vox quoque per lucos vulgo exaudita silentes_ Ingens.--

The Reader cannot but perceive that the Manner of placing _Ingens_ has a wonderful Effect; it makes him hear the melancholy Voice _groan through the Grove_.

VII. The _changing the common Pronunciation of Words_, as thus:

_"Fluvi[)o]rum Rex Eridanus._--

And

_"Strid[)e]re apes utero & ruptis efferv[)e]re costis._

VIII. _Lines contrary to the common Measure_, or rather without any Measure at all, _viz._

"_Quod fieri ferro, liquidove potest electro, Saxa per & scopulos & depressas convalles._

IX, X, XI. These are the three Articles formerly mentioned, namely, the _Alliteratio_, the _Allusio Verborum_, and the _Assonantia Syllabarum_.

1. As to the _Alliteratio_. This is of several Kinds, it is _Initial_, _Single_ and _Double_; sometimes _Treble_, or more frequent. It is likewise _Mix'd_, that is, both in the first Letters of the Words, and in the following Syllables. It is sometimes so often repeated, that it may be term'd _Assultus_, or an Attack upon, or a storming of the Ear.

The following are Examples of the _Single Alliteratio_.

"_Quid faciat lætas_ segetes, _quo_ sidere _terram_ Vertere, _Mæcenas_, _ulmisque adjungere_ vites, Conveniat: _quæ_ cura _boum_, _qui_ cultus _habendo_.

Again,

"--_Sed_ viva volare _Sideris in numerum_.--

And,

"--_Asia longe_ Pulia palus.--

Of the _Double_ initial _Alliteratio_, this is an Example:

"_Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

Of the _Treble_ and more frequent initial _Alliteratio_, this is an Instance:

"_Et sola in siccâ secum spatiatur arena._

The _Mix'd Alliteratio_, and the _Assultus_ are to be found in these two Lines:

"Illas _ducit_ amor trans Gargara, transque sonantem Ascanium: superant _montes_, & flumina tranant.

In these two Lines the Vowel _a_ is repeated fourteen times, and what an Effect this has upon the Ear, the Reader cannot but perceive.

2. Of the _Allusio Verborum_, the following are Examples:

"_Nec nocturna quidem carpentes pensa puellæ._

Again,

"_Hoc metuens; molemque & montes insuper altos._

Again,

"_Stat sonipes, ac frena ferox spumantia mandit._

Again,

"_Vitavisse vices Danaum._

3. Of the _Assonantia Syllabarum_ or _Rhyme_, there are in _Virgil_ the several following Sorts.

1. _The plain direct Rhyme_, which is of two Kinds, _Single_ or _Double_.

2. _The intermediate_ or _casual plain Rhyme_.

3. _The scanning conclusive Rhyme_. So called, because it would hardly be perceived by the Generality of Readers, unless they first scann'd the Verse; but when they have done that in three or four Lines, the Ear will afterwards make the necessary Distinction without any farther trouble.

I will explain and give Examples of all these several sorts of _Rhyme_ in their Order.

1. To treat of the plain _Single_ direct _Rhyme_. The following Verses are Examples of this sort of Rhyme: But to make them more like our own, I will divide the Verse into two Parts.

"_Poculaque inventis Acheloia miscuit uvis._

"_Totaque Thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

"_Et premere, & laxas Sciret dare, jussus habenas._

"_Atque rotis summas Levibus pellabitur undas._

"_O nimium coelo Et pelago confise sereno._

Many more of these Lines might be produced, but these are sufficient.

Of the plain direct _Double_ Rhyme (which is the Sort of Rhyme the _Spectator_ speaks of No. 60, and which the Monks were in Love with) the following are Instances.

"_Hic labor extremus, lon_garum _hæc meta vi_arum.

Again,

"_I nunc & verbis Virtutem illude superbis._

Again,

"_Cornua veletarum Obvertimus Antennarum._

2. _Of the intermediate plain Rhyme_, the following are Examples.

"Imposuit, _regemque_ dedit, _qui foedere certo_.

And,

"_Descendo, ac ducente_ Deo _flammam inter & hostes_.

In this Passage _Virgil_ uses _Deus_ in speaking of a _Goddess_, for no other Reason imaginable but to enrich his Verse with Rhyme.

3. Of the _scanning conclusive Rhyme_ the following are Instances.

"_Sylvestrem tenui musam medi--taris [=a]--ven[=a]_.

"_Nudus in ignota pali--nure j[=a]--cebis [=a]--ren[=a]_.

From whence it appears that _Virgil_'s Poetry is almost all Rhyme of one kind or other; and it is evident beyond Dispute that he generally concludes his strong, sounding, majestick Paragraphs with a full Rhyme, for which I refer to that fine Line already more than once mentioned, which sums up the Praises of _Italy_.

"_Totaque thuriferis Panchaia pinguis arenis._

And to the Conclusion of his finest work.

"_Hic vero subitum, ac dictu mirabile monstrum Aspiciunt: liquefacta boum per viscera toto Stridere apes utero, & ruptis effervere costis, Immensasque trahi nubes; jamque arbore summa Confluere, & lentis uvam demittere ramis._

And to this I will add the last Line of the Epilogue to the _Georgicks_.

"_Tytyre te patulæ cecini sub tegmine fagi._

Where the two several Hemisticks or Parts of the Verse Rhyme each to itself.

I would observe here that both _Ovid_ and _Lucan_, for want of Judgment, begin with a full Rhyme; the consequence of which is, that the Conclusion of the Paragraph is less sonorous than the Beginning, which must needs have a bad Effect.

"_In nova fert animus muta_tas _discere for_mas. Ovid.

"_Bella per Æmath_ios _plus quam Civilia Cam_pos. Lucan.

But a modern Writer, and a much better Composer of _Latin_ Verses than either _Ovid_ or _Lucan_, has with great Judgment taken care to follow _Virgil_'s Example in this and many other Particulars. I mean _Vanerius_. There are a great Number of Lines in his _Prædium Rusticum_ which are worthy of _Virgil_ himself: I shall entertain you with some of them.

In his Kitchen-Garden, the following Passage is a Description of all the numerous Family of Colworts, or the Cabbage-kind.

"_Quid dicam quanta jactat se Brassica laude? Sive volubilibus redit in se frondibus, Orbesque Orbibus agglomerans, capitis sub mole laborat; Tornato similes Ebori seu candida Flores Ediderit, seu Coniacas imitata Cupressus, Seque suas plicat in frondes, & acumen in album Desinit, & tenui venit haud ingloria Mensæ. Sive hieme in media cum cætera frigore torpent Loeta viret, Boreamque trucem, Caurosque malignos Despiciens, vacuis ultro Dominatur in hortis._"

In his Description of the Farm-yard, he paints the following several Sorts of Fowls in this Manner:

"_Se pictæ cervicis_ Anas | _& Garulus_ Anser _Tarda mole movent: | habitu_ Gallina _modesto Progreditur: | Caudam_ Gallus _Cristasque rubentes Erigit, | & motis sibi plaudit Lætior alis_."

And I cannot omit this most charming Verse which describes the Courtship of a Pigeon.

"_Sæpe solum verrens Pennâ pendente rotatur._"

"Oft with his trailing Wing the wanton Dove Brushes the Ground, and wheels about his Love.

Such Verse as this must please in all Ages, and in all Countries, where the Readers have any Taste and Delicacy of Ear. All the Beauties of _Virgil_'s Poetry are in these Lines; and you may observe in the four last mentioned,

1. How curiously the _Pause_ is varied.

In the first Line it is upon the first Syllable of the fourth Foot.

In the second Line it is upon the first Syllable of the third Foot.

In the third Line it is upon the first Syllable of the second Foot.

In the fourth Line it is upon the last Syllable of the first Foot.

2. Observe the _initial Alliteration_ in the first, second and third Lines.

In the first, _Anas_ and _Anser_.

In the second, _Mole_, _Movent_, and _Modesto_.

In the third, _Caudam_, _Cristasque_.

The mixt Alliteration in the first Line where _Garrulus_ is placed betwixt _Anser_ and _Anas_, makes the Verse very sonorous; but the mixt Alliteration in the last Line where the Vowel _i_ is repeated eight times in seven Words, is a very masterly Stroke;

"_Er_i_g_i_t, & mot_i_s s_i_b_i _plaud_i_t loet_i_or al_i_s_."

--I_lle h_i_nc concentus_ i_n omn_i _Carm_i_ne D_i_v_i_n_i _vat_i_s_.--

Which _extempore_ Remark is itself an Instance of what I am taking notice of as imitated from _Virgil_.

3. You will perceive the _Allusio Verborum_ to have a very good Effect in the second Line.

"_Tarda m_o_le m_o_vent, habitu gallina m_o_dest_o."

4. The mixing the singular and plural Numbers in the third Line is very judicious.

"_Caudam_ Cristasque _rubentes_.

_Ovid_ would have said,

"_Caudam_ Cristamque--

Lastly, The full Rhyme in the fourth Line makes the whole Paragraph very harmonious. It is not improper to produce here the Conclusion of the Description of _Æolus_'s Cave, which is one of the finest Passages in the _Æneid_.

"_Sed pater omnipotens spelunc_is _abdidit at_ris _Hoc metuens_, mo_lemque &_ mo_ntis insuper altos Imposu_it, _regemque ded_it, _qui foedere certo Et premere, & lax_as _sciret dare jussus haben_as.

Would not any body think that _Vanerius_ intended to vie with _Virgil_ in this Place?

October 2. 1736.

_I am_, SIR, _&c._

* * * * *

_P.S._

The Examples I have given in this Letter of _plain direct Rhyme_ are only in _long_ or _heroic_ Verse, but I might have instanc'd in _Lyric Lines_. _Horace_ abounds in Rhyme. In the first Ode we find

_Metaque fervidis Evitata rotis Palmaque nobilis Illum si proprio Condidit horreo_

and several others.

In two of his finest Odes the following Lines are as full Rhymes as can possibly be made,

_Nec venenatis Gravida sagittis Pone me Pigris Ubi nulla campis Arbor æstiva Recreatur Aura Aut in umbrosis Heliconis Oris Aut super Pindo Gelidove in Hæmo._

The two last are doubly rhym'd.